Bradley Manning faces new abuse in prison

In brief

By Walter Smolarek

February 4, 2011

Bradley Manning, accused of leaking classified materials to
Wikileaks, continues to suffer under deplorable conditions at the Quantico military
base in Virginia, where he is imprisoned. Although he passed psychiatric
evaluations, Manning was recently placed on suicide watch for two days, meaning
that he was confined to his cell for 23 hours a day without receiving visitors.

Manning faces this new abuse in retaliation for the critical
role he allegedly played in exposing some of the criminal actions of U.S.
imperialism. He stands accused of leaking the famous “collateral murder” video
of an aerial massacre of civilians and reporters by U.S. forces in Iraq as well
as 250,000 state department communications.

Manning has not committed any crime. If he indeed shed light
on the secrets of the U.S. government, he has made a major contribution to the
struggle of oppressed people around the world and inside the United States.
Progressives and revolutionaries should stand in solidarity with Bradley
Manning and demand his immediate release.